N-shell

[en-shel]

noun Physics.

the fourth shell of electrons surrounding the nucleus of an atom and containing, when filled, 32 electrons having principal quantum number 4.

Compare K-shell, L-shell, M-shell.

Origin of N-shell

First recorded in 1920–25

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018